Device to facilitate mounting of rolls of cloth on cloth spreading machines



Oct. 10, 1950 Y H. w. GILBERT DEVICE T0 FACILITATE MOUNTING OF ROLLS 0F CLOTH ON CLOTH SPREADING' MACHINES Filed June 21, 1947 U m mu 56 V2 m. M W E fi,

I A TTOKWEY Patented Oct. 10, 1950 OFFICE DEVICE TO FACILITATE MOUNTING OF ROLLS OF CLOTH ON CLOTH SPREAD- ING MACHINES Herman Walter Gilbert, New York, N. Y.

Application June 21, 1947, Serial No. 756,300

4 Claims.

This invention relates to cloth spreading devices and to accessories employed in connection therewith.

An object of the invention is to provide a device whereby rolls and bolts of cloth may easily be placed in position upon and removed from cloth spreading machines.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cloth laying-up machine which has an auxiliary roller supported thereon below the normal position of the cloth roll, and so arranged as to provide anti-friction support for the cloth roll during the operation of placing it in position on the machine.

A further object of the invention is to provide an accessory for cloth spreading machines, which includes a stable base with upright brackets supporting a roller, the device being movable to any position upon a cloth spreading machine below the cloth roll supports, for allowing the cloth roll to be easily and quickly moved into position by one man.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an accessory for cloth spreading machines, which carries the main weight of a cloth roll to be placed thereon, thus avoiding possible injury to a workman handling the roll due to its relatively great weight, and also which saves labor.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and in which,

Fig. 1 is an elevational View of a cloth spreading machine including my improved accessory device,

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken on line 22 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a view similar to that of Fig. 1, but showing in dotted lines the manner in which the cloth roll is supported by the necessary device during installation and removal thereof, and

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the device shown in Fig. 3.

In the operation of cloth spreading machines, it is necessary to place thereon a rod containing a relatively heavy roll or bolt of cloth. As is well known to those skilled in the art, the normal position of the rod on the machine is above 2 attempts this operation, it has been found to be quite difficult to both support the cloth roll and to guide its opposite end so as to accurately position .the end of the rod upon the rod support.

The present invention enables one man to handle the whole operation, supporting the heavy cloth roll and enabling it to be guided accurately and quickly to the opposite rod support. In order to understand clearly the nature of the invention, and the best means for carrying it out, reference may now be had to the drawings, in which like numerals denote similar parts throughout the several views.

As shown, there is a cloth laying-up table the upper surface of which is generally indicated at 10, the table being of considerable length in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the view shown in Fig. 1. A cloth spreading machine IZ of any suitable design, is supported upon the table top In for traversing the same longitudinally thereof from one end to the other and back again in order to spread cloth thereon.

The cloth spreading machine may take any one of several different forms well known in'the art, only one form of machine being illustrated by way of example, it being understood that other machines than the one shown may be used with the invention. The cloth laying machine shown includes a frame comprising upright legs M the lower ends of which are provided with traction wheels such as those shown at l6 and I8.

The upper ends of the legs I4 are secured in any suitable manner to the platform 29 of the cloth spreading machine carriage, oblique struts 22 bein secured between the platform and the legs in the manner shown in Fig. 1, to lend added rigidity to the structure. For guiding the movement of the machine l2 as it traverses the length of the table In, one or more of the wheels [6 may be provided with an annular peripheral groove, as seen in Figs. 1 and 3, to engage with a track 24 secured upon the table top and extending throughout its entire length.

Upright brackets 26 and 28 are secured at their lower ends to the opposite sides of the machine carriage, the brackets restin upon the platform and being-secured to fastening strips 30 by means of bolts 32 extending therethrough, the lower ends of the fastening strips being similarly secured to the sides of the carriage in any suitable manner, as by means of bolts 34 extending into some convenient portion of the frame or platform.

Although Fig. 4 shows the brackets 26 and 28 3 disposed midway between the ends of the platform 20, it will be understood that they may be located near one end if considered desirable. The upper ends 36 of the brackets 26 and 28 are bifurcated as shown best in Fig. 2, to form extended arms 38, between which a rod 40 is supported. The rod 413 may have a roll 42 of cloth wound thereon, or ma support; a bolt of cloth, the cloth being unwound as the machine traverses the table H in any manner well known in the art. The cloth spreading machine is illustrated in a simple form, it being understood that.

it will normally include various other elements. for guiding the cloth as it leaves the roll 42, and may also include devices for propelling it and controlling the speed of traverse. Such elements are not illustrated, since they are well known, and do not themselves form a part of the invention.

When a new roll of cloth 42 with its rod 40 is to be placed in position upon thee forked brackets 26 and 28, this; is normally accomplished by a workman standing upon the floor on either side of the table Ill, and it'will be apparent. that, due to the relatively great weight of' the cloth roll, audits diameter and length, it is quite difficult for him to simultaneously lift the roll" and rod up. to the proper elevation and to guide the opposite end of the rod accurately onto. the forked end of the bracket upon which it is to be supported.

For assisting'in this operation, I' provide a device generally indicated at 44 in the drawings, and including a base 46. The base, as shown 'best' in Fig. 2, may be formed of wood or other suitable material, adapted to rest: upon the upper surface of the platform 20, being slidable thereon to any positionsuch as directly below'the cloth roll" 42. The base 56 is provided with angle irons 48- the horizontal flanges of which are secured by means of bolts 50 tothe opposite ends of the base. Upstanding brackets 52' and 54, formed of metal, are secured at their lower ends to the upstanding flanges of the angle irons d8 byweldingor in any other suitable manner, the brackets'being notched at several positions along their length such as at 56 and 58 for supporting theends of a shaft 60;

I A hollow cylindrical roller 64 is rotatably carried onthe shaft 69, by means of anti-friction bearings 65 disposed th'erebetween, as shown in Fig 2, the inner races of the bearings being sec'ured to theshaft 58, while the outer races are secured to the inner surface of the roller.

Referring now to Fig. 3, it will be seen that the roll of cloth and its supporting rod which are to be elevated onto the forked brackets 26 and 23, is first placed in the dotted line position shown in the view, resting upon the roller 6.4. The workman is holding the lower end of the roll and rod while inthis position, while the bulk-of its weight is supported upon the roller 64, and then he slides the roll and rod diagonally upwards to bring the right hand end of the rod, to a position directly above the forked end of the right hand bracket 28, whereupon it is then lowered so as to be supported thereon. The workman then elevates the left hand end of the assembled rod and roll so as to place that end of the rod 40 upon the forked end of the left hand bracket 25, the roll being then in the desired position.

The device 44 may be moved to the left or right as seen in Fig. 4, to position it for the best convenience of the operator, and may either be left in position, or removed. One such device may be used with several cloth spreading machines as needed, or each machine may be provided with one such accessory. It will be apparent that the device shown permits one man to handle the installation and removal of the cloth rods and rolls, thus saving time and labor. The; operator may also'cliange the elevation of the roller 64 by moving the shaft 69 to a lower pair of bracket notches such as those shown at 56.

Although I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention in specific terms, it is to be understood that various changes ma be made in size, shape, materials and arrangement without departing from the spirit and scope of the. invention as claimed.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by U. S. Letters Patent is:

l. A cloth spreading machine comprising a carriage. including a platform supported upon by: said base, and having aligned notches formed therein, a shaft receivable. in said notches for being supported; upon said. brackets, and a roller rotatably carried by said shaft, said base and the parts carried thereby being movable. to a plurality of positions below the supports for the cloth roll and rod from which cloth is unro'i'led onto: a cloth laying-up table. traversed by the said spreading machine, whereby, duringoperation of installing said cloth: roll and rod in the machine, rolling support therefor is pro.- vided bysaid roller disposed below the normal position thereof.

2.'A cloth spreading machine comprising a carriage including a platform supported upon wheeled legs fortraversing longitudinally along secured at their lower endsto opposed sides of,

said base and having aligned notches formed in upper portionsthereof, a shaft adapted to be supported in said notches, a roller encircling said shaft, and anti-friction bearing means carried jointly by said roller and said shaft for maintaining said rollerconcentric and rotatable on said shaft, said roller being so arrangeable relati-ve to the normal position of said cloth roll and lateral rod in the machine, as toprovide rolling support therefor during the operation-of lifting them upward intoengage'ment' withlsaid'uprigh supports. H 3. The construction according to claim characterized further in. that there is a plurality of pairs ofsaid notches formed in said upstanding brackets, whereby the height of said roller relative to said upright supports may be varied. 4. An accessory for cloth spreading machines having a pair of upright. supports. adapted to carry a lateral rod upon which is wound a roll of cloth, said accessory comprisinga stable base adapted to be supported upon the platform of the carriage of said machines, a pair of angle irons secured to opposite. sides of. said. base with one flange upstanding, a. pair of; upstanding brackets one of which is secured to each said 2,525,846 5 6 flange, and having a plurality of pairs 01 aligned REFERENCES CITED notches formed in said brackets above said base, The following references are of record in the a shaft adapted to be supported in said notches, file of this patent. a roller encircling said shaft, and anti-friction bearing means carried jointly by said roller and 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS said shaft for maintaining said roller concentric Number Name Date and rotatable on said shaft, said roller being so 1,360,424 McGaughy Nov. 30, 1920 arrangeable relative to the normal position of 1,515,824 Best Nov. 18, 1924 the cloth roll and lateral rod in said machine, 2,424,692 Harshberger July 29, 1947 as to provide rolling support therefor during the 10 operation of lifting them upward into engagement with the lateral rod supports provided in said machine.

HERMAN WALTER GILBERT. 

